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Monday, January 9, 2012

Ask me if I like Brussels sprouts and I'm likely to turn up my nose. But I really don't have a good reason to do that, because to be honest, I've never tasted them. But now I want to.

I grew Brussels sprouts in 2008, but I never ate them.
It wasn't because of the aphids either.

Annie White, Editor-at-Large of Inside Grower, brought an interesting little tidbit of information to my attention in her latest newsletter. It seems that there is a genetic predisposition for liking Brussels sprouts or disliking them. About half the population has a gene type that causes the vegetable to taste bitter to them. The other half has a mutation of the gene that allows them to eat Brussels sprouts without tasting the bitterness.

Brussels sprouts contain PTC - Phenylthiocarbamide - and people who can't taste it are more likely to enjoy eating them. This discovery was made by the Eden Project in Cornwall, Great Britain.

I grew Brussels sprouts once, four years ago, but I never ate them. Now that there's this genetic link to liking these or not, I want to grow them again and this time, I'll eat them. I'll eat them at least once, just to find out if I'm a "taster" or not. Then I'll make my husband eat them to see if he likes them. And then - you know what's coming, don't you? - I'll make our girls eat them to see whose genes they inherited.

I just started some seed indoors today for the very first time for planting out in late February. I've never grown or eaten them before, but since I had some seed, naturally, I HAVE to grow them, right?

Like what Lea said, don't over cook them. We just had some fresh ones...love them fresh. Parboiled then finished in the skillet with the bacon drippings and tossed with bacon and onions. yummmmmWe also love them oven roasted with olive oil and salt and pepper. I used to gag them down as a kid. try them!!

This is very interesting to me. My parents love brussel sprouts and served them to me when I was a kid. I could not stand their bitterness, which was so strong that I would gag. So I learned to cut them in quarters and swallow the quarters whole so I didn't have to taste them. Mom never understood why I detested them so and always said how good they were and that they didn't taste bitter at all!! I can't wait to email her this little tidbit of info. Thanks for sharing!

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